Crockery



W. L. GILLER April 22, 1941.

CROCKERY Filed Feb. 20, 1940 Fig. 1.

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Attorney Patented Apr. 22, 1941 'azaaoes' caocxnnr l v William LeslieGiller, Leamington Spa, England application February 20, 1940, SerialNo. 319,985 In Great Britain June 24, 19:8 7

.5Claims.

The present invention relates to cups or like articles of crockery, andisprlmarily concerned with domestic crockery including not only cups,

but also basins, made of china, glass, porcelain,

earthenware, plastic compositions, metal or other material of which suchobjects are or may be made. The invention, is however, also applicablewith advantage to other articles of a. nature similar to crockery, suchas beakers, crucibles, and other liquid receptacles used inlaboratories, hospitals, and the like.

The invention is intended for use in connection with cups and likearticles of crockery which have to be handled in large quantities, suchas in factory canteens, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and the like,wherein apparatus or machines are generally employed for washing thecrockery, and the general object of the invention is two-fold. namely toenable the cups and like articles of crockery to be washed and dried inlarge quantities in a more eiiicient manner than heretofore, with thepossibility of carrying out eiilcient sterilisation without undue lossof time.

To facilitate handling cups in large quantities, it is a well knownpractice so to shape them that they may be stacked or nested one in theother to form compact columns or piles on trays, on which they aretransported from kitchen to washing machine, and back to the kitchen orstores again after washing. But the cups can-- not be washed while sostacked and therefore have to be separated out individually for washingand also for sterilising should this be required. Also the cups cannotdry whilst stacked, so that as a rule they have to be individuallydried, or dried by hot air when individually separated.

Furthermore the importance of hygiene in connection with crockery whichis used communally by large numbers of persons is becoming increasinglyrecognized, and consequently it is now considered to be highlydesirable, if not essential, that all such crockery should besterilised.

But for eflicient sterilisation crockery must be immersed in vigorouslyboiling water or hot steam for a period of at least ten minutes, andthis represents a considerable increase in the time required for thehandling of the crockery between its consecutive periods of use, oftennecessitating a considerable increase of stock to eliminate any periods'of delay in meeting customers or users requirements.

Apart from the loss of time occasioned by the necessity for unstackingcups for washing and drying and sterilising, it will also be appreciatedthat the space taken up in the washing and sterilising machines isconsiderably increased as compared with the space taken up by the cupswhen stacked, so that machines of considerably more than minimumcapacity are required.

The two-fold general object 01' the invention has been already stated,and more specifically the object of the invention is to avoid the abovedescribed disadvantages by enabling cups and like articles of crockeryto be efliciently washed, dried and sterilised while in a stacked 'ornested condition, so that not only is there no loss of time inseparating them out individually to enable washing, drying andsterilising to be effected with emciency, and subsequently re-staekingthem for delivery to the kitchen or stores, but also there is greateconomy in space in the washing and sterilising machines, which mayconsequently be much smaller than heretofore, for dealing with a givenvolume of work.

The foregoing objects are achieved in a very simple manner according tothe present invention. To this end a cup or like article of crockeryhaving a lower portion of less diameter than the upper portion, so as tofit within the upper portion of other similar articles, is also providedwith a plurality of projections on its outer surface which are adaptedto engage with the brim of another article when two such articles arenested together, and so to separate the outer surface of the one articlefrom the inner surface of the article within which it is nested as toprovide axially directed spaces for the admission and escape of washingor sterilising fluid to the space between the articles.

From another aspect the invention consists in a cup or like article ofcrockery having a. lower portion of less external diameter than theinternal diameter of its upper portion, so as to fit within the upperportions of other similar articles, wherein a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced axially directed grooves, flutes or recessesare formed upon or in its surface, whereby when two or more articles arestacked together, open axial passages exist between the walls of thearticles which permit the free flow of washing or sterilising fluidsinto and out of the spaces between the articles.

The invention also consists in a cup or like article of crockery havinga lower portion of less external diameter than the internal diameter ofthe upper mouth portion, so as to fit within the mouths of other similararticles, wherein a plurality of circumferentially spaced shoulders areprovided on the upper portion to rest on the brim of another articleinto which its lower part is fitted, and leave intermediate axiallydirected spaces serving for the admission and escape of washing orsterilising fluid into the space between the cups or other articleswhilst the articles are fitted in one another or stacked.

In one embodiment, the surface of a cup is provided with alternateaxially directed ribs or projections, and grooves or flutes, extendingupwardly from the bottom of the cup, and preferably the lower partsofthe ribs are made of less height than the upper parts to produmrecessed portions forming shoulders which rest on the brim of anothercup into which it is ntted. The grooves or flutes need only extend ashort distance upwardly of the surface of the articles, sufficient toprovide the necessary axial. passages into their interiors, but theymay, if desired, be extended up to the brims or edges of the cups or thelike.

The invention will be more clearly appreciated from the followingdescription of the drawing appended hereto and forming part of thisspecification, which drawing shows, by way of example only, aconstructional form, of cup embodying the invention. In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows two cups in accordance with the invention stacked oneupon the other.

Figure 2 shows the two cups in vertical section, and

Figure 3 is an underplan view of one of the cups.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, cups are formed with the lower portion aof smaller diameter than the upper portion b, so that they can bestacked one within the other, thereby economising in storage space andfacilitating their handling in large numbers. In accordance with theinvention, in the surface of the cup are provided flutes or grooves cwhich at their upper ends merge into the surface of the upper portion21,

below the mouth edge thereon, and at their lower parts extend to thebottom of the cup, the portions of the upper part b remaining betweenthe flutes or grooves c forming shoulders d which rest on the rims ofthe cups in which the lower parts a are fitted.

In the example shown the minimum number of three flutes c are providedin the cup surface, but more flutes may be provided if desired. As willbe apparent from the drawing, cleaning liquid or steam can enter theinteriors of the cups, as indicated by the arrows, through the flutes c,and can leave in the same manner, when the cups are inverted.

The flutes need not stop short of the upper or mouth edge of the cup asshown, since they may extend to the rims or mouth edges of the cups, ifdesired.

It will be appreciated that cups shaped as described above can bereadily washed by high pressure jets of water, whilst remaining in thestacked condition, and upon immersion in boiling water or steam forsterilisation purposes, will be freely penetrated by the hotsterilisi-ng liquid or vapour. Finally, after being inverted to drainout the contained liquid whilst still stacked; they may be dried by hotair currents, since the air can freely enter and leave their interiors.

It will be understood that in the case. of stacked cups, or the like,the jets of washing or drying fluid will be directed parallel tothelengths of the stacks, i. e tangentially to the external surfaces of theedges.

It should be noted that the exact shape of the cups, or other articlesis not material to the invention. In the case of so-called stacking"cups, the cups should be so shaped as to provide free access for thewashing liquids, whilst at the same time providing the necessaryinterlock in order to prevent a stack of cups from falling over. Theinvention, however, is also applicable to ordinary cups and in this casemay be carried into effect by providing ribs upon the inner or outersurfaces of the cups in order that the cups are spaced apart when one isinserted within the other, whereby a free path of flow is allowed to thewashing fluid.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims. For example, the outer surface of the cup may be provided withthree small lugs, one of which may even constitute the handle of the cupitself, which are so positioned as to space the cups apart when they arestacked together and permit the free flow of washing fluids in theirinteriors. With such a construction, if the lugs are made small,practically the whole of the cups periphery is left freely open for thefluid movement.

What I claim is:

1. Cups and like articles of crockery having a lower portion of lessexternal diameter than the internal diameter of the upper portion,including a plurality of circumferentlally spaced shoulders on saidupper portion, whereby when said article is fitted into another similararticle, said shoulders rest on the brim of said other article anddefine intermediate axially directed spaces opening through the loweredge of the article for the admission and escape of washing orsterllising fluid into and from the space between the articles.

2. Cups and like articles of crockery having a lower portion of lessexternal diameter than the internal diameter of the upper portion,including a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially directed ribson the surface of the article, extending upwardly from the bottomthereof, and shoulders formed by recessed portions of said ribs, wherebywhen said article is fitted into another similar article, said shouldersrest on the brim of said other article and define intermedi ate axiallydirected spaces for the admission and escape of washing or sterilisingfluid into and from the space between the articles.

3. Cups and like articles of crockery having a lower portion of lessexternal diameter than the internal diameter of the upper portion,including a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially directedgrooves in the surface of the article and extending upwardly from thebottom thereof, recesses in the portions of the article between saidgrooves forming shoulders, whereby, when said article is fitted intoanother similar article, said shoulders rest on the brim of said otherarticle and define intermediate axially directed spaces for theadmission and escape of washing or sterilising fluid into and from thespace between the articles.

4. Cups and like articles of crockery having a lower portion of lessexternal diameter than the internal diameter of the upper portion, a.peripheral shoulder between said upper and lower portions,circumferentially spaced depressions in said upper portion formingspaced interruptions of said shoulder, and axially directed ribs on saidlower portions disposed between said depressions.

5. Cups and like articles of crockery having a lower portion 'of lessexternal diameter than the internal diameter of the upper portion, aperipheral shoulder between said upper and lower portions,circumferentially spaced depressions in said upper portion formingspaced interruptions of said shoulder, and axially directed ribs on saidlower portions disposed between said depressions and extending from saidshoulder to the lower edge of said article.

WILLIAM LESLIE GILLER.

